Parliamentary Counsel’s Office does not provide advice to the public about the interpretation or operation of legislation. Instead you may wish to contact the government agency that administers the legislation.
Services provided by the PCO include:
- preparing drafts of Bills for Ministers so they can be introduced into Parliament in accordance with the government's legislative program
- preparing amendments to Bills for Ministers during their passage through Parliament
- preparing drafts of subsidiary legislation for Ministers and government agencies so the Acts they administer can be fully implemented and properly administered
- providing legislative drafting services to private members of Parliament and facilitating the work of parliamentary committees
- compiling texts of Acts and subsidiary legislation with their amendments incorporated so the laws of the State can be made available in a variety of forms to those who must comply with them and those who must apply and enforce them
- maintaining the Western Australian Legislation website and arranging publication of information about the legislation of WA
- publishing the Government Gazette on the Western Australian legislation website. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet compiles the Gazette.
The Parliamentary Counsel also holds the office of Government Printer under an appointment made by the Governor under the Constitution Act 1889 section 74.
Legislative Drafters
Current vacancies
Senior Parliamentary Counsels SLBD4
Senior Assistant Parliamentary Counsels Level 7LG
Senior Assistant Parliamentary Counsels Level 6LG
Assistant Parliamentary Counsels Level 5LG
Assistant Parliamentary Counsels Level 4LG
Essential eligibility requirements
- A person who is an Australian Lawyer who is the holder of, or is eligible to hold, an Australian Practising Certificate as defined in the Legal Profession Uniform Law (WA) OR
- A person who is eligible to be admitted to the legal profession in Western Australia under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2007 OR
- A person who —
- is admitted, or eligible for admission, as a lawyer in any of the following jurisdictions
- Canada (including a Province or Territory of Canada);
- Ireland;
- the United Kingdom (including England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland); and
- has been employed as a legislative drafter, for a period or periods equivalent to 5 years, in 1 or more government legislative drafting offices in any of those jurisdictions.
- is admitted, or eligible for admission, as a lawyer in any of the following jurisdictions
Resources
If you have questions relating to legislation, the following resources may give you the answer you are looking for:
